Stay Warm this Winter with Parsnip Soup!
White carrots? No, those are actually parsnips! Parsnip is a root vegetable high in vitamins and minerals, especially potassium. Despite it’s resemblance and close relation to carrots, it is actually a lot sweeter!
To celebrate national soup day, we decided to cook this often forgotten vegetable. This soup is filling, healthy and rich in flavour. What I love about this soup is its versatility. You can change the recipe to suit your preferences. It’s easy to add different complementary vegetables like carrots or potato, or add a spicy seasoning like cayenne pepper to balance the sweetness. Because parsnip is so sweet, you can even supplement some of it with potato or more cauliflower for thickness if you don’t have a sweet tooth.
If you haven’t tried parsnip yet- you’re missing out! Find the recipe below.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 pack of parsnips (5 or 6), peeled and chopped into chunks
1 handful of cauliflower, chopped into chunks
1 onion, peeled and chopped into chunks
2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 curry leaves
500mL semi-skimmed milk (or substitute with coconut milk or soy milk)
1 litre vegetable stock (water, carrots, celery, onion, parsley stems)
Salt
Pepper
Fresh parsley, to top
Directions
In a stockpot, heat the olive oil and butter. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and curry leaves. Sauté until the onions start to become translucent.
Add the chopped parsnip and cauliflower and stir until incorporated. Pour in the milk and the stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower and let it simmer for 30 minutes, covered.
Once the parsnips are tender, divide the mixture in half and blend each half one at a time (leaving an opening in the blender for hot air to escape). Pour the soup back in the stockpot and season as needed.
Top with a sprig of parsley and a piece of fried parsnip peel. Serve with a slice of crusty bread.
